I Will Try to Fix You
by crazychick14
Summary: It's funny how one broken soul can change the present and turn a nation towards a brighter future.
1. Chapter 1: Beginnings

**My first ever Storm Hawks fanfiction! Hope you guys like it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything.**

_It's funny how one broken soul can change the present and turn a nation towards a brighter future._

It was a year and a half after the battle between the Cyclonian Empire and the Storm Hawks. In the end, Cyclonis won, and the Atmos was under her complete control. The Storm Hawks were separated and forced into hiding. The Condor was lost again, having been nearly destroyed by the Cyclonian forces and rendered completely unable to fly. With the Storm Hawks went the Atmos's final hope of being free again.

Our story begins in Terra Atmosia, the unspoken capital of the Old Atmos. The shards of the Aurora Stone, which once lit up the beacon tower a brilliant blue, were taken out by Cyclonis herself after the war was won. Atmosia was dark and depressing, the people walking around like they were all dead. They might as well have been. They were poor and starving- most of them. A few still lived in luxury, and they were loyal to Cyclonis.

However, there was one person in Atmosia that hadn't lost hope. This person sat on a street corner, an old guitar in hand, playing for money. A few coins were tossed into a small cup at the person's feet, but it wasn't enough. It was never enough. The stranger was saving all of the money he collected. No one knew what he looked like- a dark cloak always covered his face. They assumed he was a man. A teenager at most. He was skinnier and smaller than a teenage boy ought to have been, but times were tough. The people knew. His family was probably dead, and he was trying to buy a Cyclonian uniform and join them to get extra money. That's what most teenagers did. The boy often attracted a small crowd with his guitar, for music had not been heard in Atmosia for a long time. People pitied him and gave him money for being hopeful. It was refreshing to see such hope in someone so young.

As this boy was playing one especially dark day, a man walked up to him. The man was tall and large, with an aged face that showed years of hard work and strife, though he couldn't have been older than thirty. The man was fed up with the boy on the corner. Didn't he know better? No one messed with him, and this kid was on his turf. He waited patiently for the song to end, and walked over. There were about ten coins in the cup by the boy's feet.

"What do you think you're doing?" The tall man asked the boy, who looked up slightly. He put his guitar in its case and closed it. He picked up the cup and stood. Standing at full height, the teen was at least a full foot shorter than the man, but had all the courage in the world.

"I think," he said in a voice higher than it should have been, "I'm playing the guitar and making money. Do you have a problem?"

"Actually, I do," the man said gruffly. "This is my corner of Atmosia. I'm the one taking people's money around here, and I won't have some worthless, scrawny kid steal that from me!"

The boy's face was in shadow under his hood, but the man knew there was a scowl on his face. A chill ran down his spine, as if there was some higher power telling him this was not a kid to mess with. However, he stood his ground.

"Get out of here," the man said. "I don't want to see you here again." He picked up the boy's cup and dumped all but one coin into his palm. He threw the cup back at the boy's feet and began to walk away.

"Or else," he called over his shoulder.

The boy sighed and picked up his cup and the coin. He hoisted his guitar over his shoulder and began walking. After a good ten minutes, he finally reached his destination. Walking into the small building and striding to the old man at the counter, he held out the single coin.

"What can I get for this?" he asked. The man handed him a small packet of white pills. He knew this boy- he came in every day and always bought the same thing: medicine. He accepted the coin silently and the boy walked out. The man sighed and went about his work.

After a good hour or so of walking in the dense forest, the boy finally reached the place he used to call home. As the door opened, the stepped inside, letting the familiar sights relax him as much as he would allow them to. He walked briskly through the abandoned airship until he reached a particular room, which had a particular person on the bed inside. He shook the slightly older boy awake. As the forest green eyes opened, a smile graced the boy with the hood's face, and he removed his cloak.

And as it turns out, he was not a he at all. He was a she.

The boy with the crimson hair and forest green eyes opened his mouth to speak.

"Hey, Piper."

**890 words? Yeah, I'll take it for the first chapter. Let me know how I did, and if you want me to continue or not! Remember, the review button is not hard to press! Neither is the favorite story button!**


	2. Chapter 2: Flashbacks

**Sorry for the wait, I got really busy with school and play practice and... Oh, screw it. Here's the second chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: Storm Hawks belongs to those lucky ones at Nerd Corps...**

"Hey, Aerrow," the blue-haired girl replied to her best friend. They smiled at each other, but Piper noted how much worse Aerrow was looking. His skin was a pale yellow and his face was dripping with sweat. Fever, Piper guessed. Neither of them knew how Aerrow had gotten so sick, but they were both trying everything to help. Piper clearly remembered the day she and Aerrow saw each other after Cyclonis took over...

_It was a few weeks after both the Storm Hawks and Cyclonis returned from the Far Side. After a few days of hiding in the woods by the Condor, they had come up with a flawless plan to get back Atmosia and the rest of the Atmos from Cyclonis. It was simple, really- play pranks on the Cyclonians and inspire hope in the people. If all went as planned, the Cyclonian Empire would soon have a full-scale rebellion on their hands, and it would be too much for them to handle. That's when the Storm Hawks would sweep in and take down Cyclonis once and for all._

_But nothing went as planned._

_Things started taking a turn for the worse when Finn was captured and nearly killed. After that, the Storm Hawks never saw him again._

_Junko went back to Terra Wallop to help out with the Wallop Resistance and drive the Cyclonians out of his terra. No one had heard from him since that day._

_Stork went with the Condor down to the Wastelands_ _, just like before. Although this time, there was little hope of both the Condor- and Stork- ever returning._

_That leaves three Storm Hawks._

_When the final battle came, it was Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr versus about a hundred Cyclonians. They both knew they didn't stand a chance, but kept fighting. Eventually, Aerrow and Radarr were captured. Radarr went back to Moss, but Piper didn't know where Aerrow was sent. She abandoned the battle and ran full-speed into the woods on Terra Bogaton. When Cyclonian forces went looking for her, she was nowhere to be found. It was assumed she fell off the terra and was killed in the Wastelands. This was told in every terra in the Atmos. People lost all hope._

_Piper \did\ fall off Terra Bogaton. She \did\ enter the Wastelands. However, she was not killed. Piper walked the Wastelands, searching for Stork and the Condor. She didn't find it, or him there. Eventually, she reached Terra Atmosia and climbed out of the Wastelands. While walking the dense forest for about a week, she finally found the Condor- but it was unable to fly. Stork wasn't there. She made camp and lived in the Condor for weeks until one day, she ran into an old friend of hers._

_He was on the run from Talons. His shirt was gone, and his pants were in tatters. His flaming red hair was matted and greasy. He was slow, and the Talons easily caught up to and surrounded him. Piper was in a nearby tree, wearing dark clothes and a black hoodie, so if she /was/ seen, they wouldn't recognize her._

_"Surrender, Sky Knight," one of the Talons said menacingly. Aerrow set his jaw, flat-out refusing. The Talons raised their weapons, but just before they could attack, smoke filled the small clearing, temporarily blinding the Talons_. _Piper ran in and grabbed Aerrow's hand, and she led him as far away from the Talons as possible. They ran for a long time, not speaking to each other. Finally, neither of them could go on, and they were forced to stop and rest._

_"Thanks," Aerrow said, as soon as he had recovered enough to speak._

_"Well, I couldn't let the Talons get you again, now could I?" Piper replied, leaning against a nearby tree._

_"Who are you?" Aerrow asked, trying to peek under the hoodie and see her face. Piper had forgotten she was wearing it. She pulled back the hood, and Aerrow's eyes went as wide as saucers._

_"Piper?" He asked. "Is it really you?" She nodded, and she couldn't help herself from smiling._

_"Hey, Aerrow," she said. He let out a sound that may have been a cross between a strangled cry and a sigh of relief. He ran at her, and threw himself into her arms, tears streaming down both of their faces._

_"Cyclonis said you were dead!" Aerrow said, pulling away and looking at her. "She said_ _you fell off Terra Bogaton and were killed in the Wastelands!"_

_"Well, that's partly true. I _did_ fall off Terra Bogaton, but I wasn't killed. I walked around the Wastelands for awhile, looking for the Condor and Stork because that's where they went down. Instead, I found Atmosia, climbed out of the Wastelands, and hid in the woods. I actually _did_ the Condor, but Stork wasn't there. I've been living there for a while," Piper explained._

_"Is it near here?" Aerrow asked Piper._

_"I think so," she said. "We should go north. It's north of the Beacon Tower." Aerrow nodded, and they walked north._

_After about an hour of walking and talking about everything under the sun, they found the Condor. Aerrow grinned- he was happy to see his home again. Piper took his hand and led him inside the ruined airship._

_Aerrow's heart both dropped and soared at the same time. On one hand, Piper had found the key to the Condor, which meant they could fly it out and look for the others. On the other hand, the airship was ruined. There were holes in the sides of the Condor they couldn't close without Junko and his Knuckle Busters. The crystal converters were in shreds. The engines were down completely. The Condor was unfly-able._

_"But it's still home," Piper said, reading Aerrow's thoughts like a map of the Atmos._

_"You're right," Aerrow said._

_Piper saw_ _his pained expression. It was the same one she had on when she discovered the wreckage of the Condor and knew they couldn't fly it out. But she had one more trick up her sleeve._

_"Come with me," she said. "I want to show you something." She led Aerrow of the bridge and down the hallway, to a closed door. She looked at him and kicked the door, which opened. Aerrow's eyes widened._

_"My old room."_

_Everything was the way it was, save a few random pieces of fallen items. The bed was made. The window was clean. And, the best part, Aerrow's twin daggers were hung on the wall, awaiting his return. He almost began crying at the sight._

_"Piper, did you-" he looked at her, and she nodded._

_"I cleaned up the other rooms, too," she said. "I figured, if we're going to find the others, they'll need somewhere to sleep." Aerrow hugged her in thanks, and they slowly began a living a life of hiding together._

_But then Aerrow got sick._

_No one knew what happened. All the two teens knew was Aerrow was getting worse daily and they needed medicine. Piper found Finn's old acoustic guitar in the landing bay and fixed it up. From that day on, every day, she went out into the streets of Atmosia and played for money._

_It wasn't much, but it was something_.

And now here they were, in the same position they had been in a million times before. And Piper's Sky Knight wasn't getting better.

**A/N: Thanks a million to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! And also to those who read it but don't leave proof... Yeah... That's right... I read my traffic stats on this story...**

**I didn't know Storm Hawks still had a fan base. It made me really happy to see everyone out there who still loves this show as much as I do. So, I love you all! Don't forget to review, because reviews mean the Atmos to me!**


	3. Chapter 3: Nightmares

**I would like to take this opportunity to thank EVERYONE OUT THERE WHO IS READING THIS STORY! I looked at the stats for October, and I Will Try to Fix You has had more visitors in this month than any of my other stories combined in October! Thanks to everyone out there- the followers, the favoriters, the reviewers, and the silent readers. I love you all!**

**Okay, no one wants to read the author's notes. So I'll just get on with it.**

**DISCLAIMER: Storm Hawks belongs to Nerd Corps (though it will be mine... Someday...)**

Piper woke up the next morning with her heart pounding. Another nightmare had plagued her during the night. It was always the same one, over and over again. Her worst fears, relived nightly. There was nothing she could do except face the fear head-on and suffer the mind-numbing consequences.

First, she saw her house getting blown up right in front of her eyes, just as it had that day eight years ago, when she was just eight years old and walking home from school with her new friend, Aerrow. She saw herself picking up her crystal necklace out of the charred remains of her home. She then saw Cyclonis, laughing at Piper, who was on the ground, trembling in fear. The laughing increased as the evil witch raised her staff for the final blow. Then, the dream always shifted to an image of the Far Side, and the beasts that came out of the sea descending on her. They clawed at her skin, eating her alive while her friends suffered similarly nearby. Then, she experienced true horror in the final segment of her dreams. She saw Cyclonis, the Dark Ace, Snype, and Ravess standing over her dead friends.

Aerrow, Finn, Junko, Stork, and Radarr were all dead. Piper had watch their slaughter. The Cyclonians' weapons dripped with the blood of her friends, her family. The only people she loved.

And they were looking hungrily at her.

Cyclonis raised her staff. The crystal on the end glowed. Snype held his club a little higher. The Dark Ace lit up his swords. Ravess took aim.

And every time, Piper looked up at one thing: a single star.

The dream never finished. She always woke up at that point- sometimes in a cold sweat, sometimes shaking uncontrollably. Most often, she screamed and jolted upright. The terror of the nightmares finally faded, about half an hour after her friends would leave her room after checking on her. But now they were gone, and Aerrow was sick and had worries of his own. So she dealt with them alone.

Maybe it was everything that had happened. Nearly being killed multiple times on the Far Side. Being lied to and played by Cyclonis. Taking care of her dying teammate. Losing her family. It was too much for one girl to handle.

But she didn't have a choice.

Handling it was her only option now. For all she knew, she and Aerrow were the only Storm Hawks left. She wanted desperately for it to be like the Cyclonian rule before the Storm Hawks had followed Cyclonis into the Far Side- where they could play pranks and laugh about them later on in the Condor. When they gave the people of the Atmos a ray of hope to hold onto.

But there wasn't any hope left to give.

Piper sighed and shook her head. If she was going to be of any help to Aerrow and the rest of the Atmos, she had to stay positive. She took a fast shower and got dressed, then grabbed her guitar and donned her black hoodie. Leaving a note on Aerrow's pillow, she set out for another day of playing for nothing.

**It was my intention to make that a cliffhanger, but I'm too excited and currently motivated to be so mean to all of you... Therefore, you can expect something big in the next chapter. Something HUGE. Expect something... Well, unexpected!**

**Thanks again to EVERYONE out there taking their time and boredom and filling it with the reading of my stories. It gives me pleasure to think of how I'm ridding you of boredom (at least, I hope I am.)**

**Please review! The reviews I got on the last chapter spurred me to do a REALLY fast update, so if I get more... ANOTHER REALLY FAST UPDATE!**


	4. Chapter 4: Rumors

**Well, at least a couple people are liking this story. But what can I say? I don't know what you people like. I'm new to Storm Hawks. So, thanks to everyone out there reading, and ESPECIALLY to those who review. Love you all!**

**DISCLAIMER: Storm Hawks is property of Nerd Corps, not me. And I'm still unhappy about that**.

Piper sat on a street corner, playing Finn's guitar, her face cloaked in the shadow of her dark hoodie. A few dollars' worth of coins rested both in her cup and in the guitar case. As she played the final note of her song, the small crowd that was gathered around her applauded. She glanced up, and saw a Talon shake his head and walk away. She sighed. She stood up and began to collect her belongings when the same man that had harassed her before walked up and began to speak.

"Didn't I tell you to-" he was cut off by her whirling around.

"Didn't I tell YOU that I'm not listening to a pompous jerk like you?" She asked him with a slight snarl.

"What did you just say to me?" He asked menacingly. Piper knew she was getting into trouble, but she honestly couldn't stand this guy.

"I _said_ I'm not listening to you. I have every right to be here. At least I'm trying to make money for myself and my sick friend, whereas you rely on taking what other people worked hard to earn! You're just lazy!"

The man brought his fist up and began to swing it down toward Piper's face. She reacted quickly, ducking and kneeling on the ground. His fist sailed harmlessly over her head. She brought her leg out and kicked him in the shin. He cringed and bent over, holding onto his leg. She leaned back and put her weight on her hands, bringing her legs up and kicking him with both feet in the face. He staggered backwards, his nose now bleeding profusely. He swung out with his leg while she was getting up and landed a good kick to her stomach. She yelped and rolled to the side, clutching her stomach. A large crowd had gathered by now. Piper stood, staggering a little bit. The man stumbled forward and swung at her. She rolled backwards, landing on her feet. She faced the man, who wiped the blood from his face with his shirt sleeve. He was surprised this kid could fight so well.

"That's it," he said gruffly. "I'm done messing around." He made a quick motion with his hands, and two rather large men stepped forward and grabbed Piper. She kicked one in his nether regions, and stomped on the other one's foot. She pulled out of their grasp and faced the man again. However, he was right in front of her, and punched her squarely in the face. Pain exploded in and around her eye, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hide this fight from Aerrow. She tried blocking his hits, but it was no use. After three punches to the face and another kick to the stomach, Piper knelt on the ground, blood and tears streaming down her face. The men grabbed her and hauled her up, and their leader, wanting to know exactly what this kid looked like, ripped off her hood.

Her eyes widened as recognition spread across his face. She seemed to register within his memory, and he quickly pulled her hood back over her face.

"Let the kid go," he said to his men. They released her, and Piper fell to the ground. The man addressed the crowd.

"What are you all standing there for? Don't you all have jobs or something? Scram!" The crowd thinned and dissipated. He motioned to the man Piper had kicked in the groin, who was breathing heavily.

"Get her stuff," he said, pointing to the guitar and cup of money. The guy nodded and ran for it. The other man stood in front of Piper and her attacker. The man holding Piper nodded to him, and all four of them began walking.

Piper was dazed and confused, her face throbbing and her stomach wrenching, her entire body trying to reject any form of movement. She swallowed the pain and began to brace herself for any torture Cyclonis would inflict on her when she was turned in. She began thinking of Aerrow. How would he survive without the medicine she brought? Surely they would discover the Condor, then him. He would be dead in a week. Her heart rate quickened as she began to think of a way out of the situation she was in.

She stopped thinking and began struggling desperately when they led her into a small, dark alley. The man squeezed her arm so hard, she felt something hot and sticky seeping through her shirt. Blood, she thought. She truly began panicking when they led her through a small, concealed door into a tiny room. Once the door was bolted shut, the man released her. She pulled down her hood and looked him squarely in the eye. He chuckled.

"You're not intimidating when you look like a bear was chewing on your face," the man said.

"You don't look much better," Piper said. He cocked an eyebrow and sighed.

"So how long have you been on the terra?" He asked her.

"I'm not answering anything you ask me," she said defiantly.

"Why not?" He asked, a bit frustrated with her already.

"Well, for one, you attacked me," she explained. "Two, the Atmos is ruled by Cyclonis. I learned the hard way not to trust too quickly."

"You're smarter than you get credit for."

"I know. So how do I know I can trust you?" She asked. To her surprise, he walked across the room to a bookshelf. Pulling a dusty old tome off of the shelf, he opened the book. The pages were hollowed out inside it, and he pulled out a small object on a chain and held it up for her to see. Her eyes widened.

"My necklace!" She exclaimed. She ran forward and took it from him. "How did you get this?"

"I was out one day in the forest and I found it," he said. "I remembered seeing the Crystal Mage of the Storm Hawks wearing it all the time, so I kept it. I figured, since you're here, you'd want it back."

"I lost this when I rescued..." She trailed off, not wanting to reveal everything. "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me. But... If you're looking for money, why didn't you just give this to Cyclonis? She would have paid your weight in gold, and probably more."

"They would have used it to track you. Couldn't have you captured, now could we?"

"Why not? That's all anyone wants with me anymore."

"Have a seat," he said to her. They sat across from each other at a small table. "My name is Carmine. It's an honor to meet you, Piper."

"Hi, Carmine. So what are we talking about?"

He leaned in and lowered his voice to a whisper. "There's been a lot of talk," he said. "The people are sick and tired of Cyclonis's rule over us. Some of us who are really serious about this formed an underground rebellion group. There are thousands of us, representatives from almost every terra in the known Atmos. We've been waiting for a leader. Someone to spark the rebellion for real. To bring every terra together and start a full-scale revolt against Cyclonia. I think you're that person."

**Again, thanks to EVERYONE! I love you all! Oh, and if you review, I'll give you an invisible burrito! I know you want that burrito. I know you do. Did you know I've never had a burrito before? It's quite sad, actually.**


	5. Chapter 5: Old Friends

**Thanks to all the reviews, follows, and favorites! Love you all! Sorry for the wait, I've been busy...**

**DISCLAIMER: Storm Hawks belongs to Nerd Corps.**

**Except for Aerrow. He belongs to me.**

**Nah, I'm just kidding. Aerrow belongs to Nerd Corps, too.**

**Lucky ba-**

**STORY TIME!**

"A rebellion?" Piper asked again, shocked as she followed Carmine through his tiny home. "How did you get a _rebellion_ organized?"

"That's just it," Carmine responded, turning to face her. "We aren't organized yet. We're just a random group of people who hate the Cyclonian Empire."

"That's what the Storm Hawks were, before we became the Storm Hawks..." She trailed off, remembering how she, Aerrow, Finn, and Radarr would defend Terra Neverlandis against wannabe Cyclonians. Her heart ached for the old days, when things were easier. Carmine continued walking until he reached a tiny closet. He opened the door with a loud creak and looked at Piper.

She was skeptical. "And what, exactly, is the significance of this closet?" She asked warily.

"You'll see when you get inside."

Her brain immediately protested. She'd been claustrophobic ever since a bad experience with Ravess and a tiny metal room. Ever since then, Radarr always went into the tiny spaces on the Condor, like closets, to get things for Piper. Besides claustrophobia, Piper had no idea what was in that closet. It could hold anything, like a Solaris crystal that would temporarily blind her so they could take her to Cyclonia and leave Aerrow to die. Or a murderous stalker they had paid off. Or... Anything, really.

"Um, no," she said. "I'm not going in there."

"It's perfectly fine," Carmine assured her. She was still completely uncomfortable with this, but so far, Carmine had proven to be relatively trustworthy. She sighed, then took a deep breath and stepped inside.

*WITH RADARR ON TERRA ZARTACLON*

Radarr sighed as he sat in his tiny little cell in the prison on Zartaclon. He missed his friends, and Aerrow especially. Everyone on Zartaclon had assumed he was dead, and Radarr was beginning to believe it, too. Aerrow was his best friend. They had been together since Radarr was just a few months old.

He missed the Storm Hawks so much, it made his heart hurt to think about them.

He wallowed in self-pity for a few minutes until the large door in front of him opened. Moss himself stood there, holding a plate of slop that was meant to be food for Radarr. He unlocked the door on Radarr's cage, but only for a moment. He tossed the plate in and shut the door quickly.

"Eat up," Moss said, smirking. "That's all you get." He walked out, laughing to himself. Radarr glared daggers at his back as he began to form a plan in his mind.

*BACK ON TERRA ATMOSIA WITH PIPER AND CARMINE*

Piper squeezed her eyes shut as she stood in the closet, fear completely overtaking her. But after a few seconds, nothing happened, and she slowly opened her eyes. Carmine stood there, leaning against the wall, smirking. She glared at him.

"You looked like an idiot," he said.

"Shut up! I don't like enclosed spaces!" She argued back at him. He chuckled.

"When I shut this door, pull the string that turns on the light. You'll know what to do then." The instructions Carmine gave her were simple, but she was cautious about following them. He shut the door behind her. She pulled the string, and to her surprise...

A lightbulb above her head flickered on.

She sighed. She had been scared for no good reason. She half-wanted to walk out of this closet and hit Carmine in the head with a rather large hammer when something unusual happened.

The wall behind her moved, sliding to the side. She squinted, and could make out a short flight of stairs that led down to a doorway. Her natural curiosity told her to follow the stairs, but common sense screamed at her to stay in her otherwise-seemingly-normal closet.

_Shut up, brain_, she thought. Carmine had said she'd know what to do once she pulled the string. Was a tiny staircase not enough of a giant hint, telling her what to do? She took the first step down, and as soon as she stepped off the floor of the closet, the wall slid shut behind her. The passageway illuminated with a creepy red light, and Piper could see the door handle. She pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside.

She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, and she took a small step back. She was standing at the entrance of a huge cavern, literally carved out of the rock. The place was lit with strange blue crystals Piper had never seen before. A crookedly-hung banner on the wall read "DOWN WITH CYCLONIA!" There was a small first aid station set up in a corner. But what really amazed her was the sheer amount of people in the room.

There were hundreds, probably thousands of people crowded into the room. They all looked at her, not entirely sure what to think of her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped and turned. Carmine was behind her. He gave her shoulder a light squeeze of reassurance, then released her and stepped forward to a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said. His voiced echoed across the cavern. he gestured to her, and a pang of fear shot through her. "Piper, of the Storm Hawks!"

The crowd looked confused. As Piper and the crowd surveyed each other, recognition seemed to cross some people's faces, and they began clapping. Slowly, people began to join in the reluctant clapping. Then, someone cheered. In what felt like a split second, the crowd was in a total uproar, clapping and whistling and screaming her name. People threw their hats in the air, couples kissed. Piper slowly smiled, and Carmine brought her closer to the crowd. She hesitated, then began waving at the crowd. People were actually crying and reached for her hands. She looked at Carmine. He was beaming, and he walked up to her.

"You're their hope," he whispered in her ear. "You are their second shot at a life unruled by Cyclonia."

She felt like a celebrity. All these people believed in her power to save them from Cyclonia. She could see people from every terra she could think of off the top of her head- Blizzarus, Gale, Bogaton, even their old number one fan Noob was cheering for her and smiling. Starling smiled at her and stood there, not going nuts like the rest of the crowd.

She looked at Carmine. "If I do this... What about Aerrow? He's still sick."

Carmine shook his head. "I sent my buddies to find the Condor in the woods. They're bringing him the medicine that will cure him completely in a few days' time."

Relief flooded Piper, and she turned back to the crowd. She continued to point out familiar faces- The Rex Guardians were all there, as was-surprisingly- the Colonel and his henchmen. However, there were two faces that stood out to her more than any others.

Finn was raised above the crowd, waving and screaming. He was sitting on Junko's shoulders, and Junko was cheering and holding onto Finn's legs. Piper almost cried with joy at seeing them. Finn tapped Junko's head, and said something to him. Junko began to walk forward, picking through the crowd. The people began to split, leaving a pathway from them to the stage. Junko set Finn down, and they began running for the stage. Piper stepped off and ran at them full-speed, crashing into Junko first. The people went nuts as he spun her around, overjoyed to see her. Finn hugged her next, and she actually began crying. She pulled out of his arms and looked at them.

"How did you get here?" She screamed over the crowd. She couldn't stop smiling.

"There's safe paths through the Wastelands," Junko replied. "We found each other at the Skyside Diner."

Piper hugged them both again, and they walked back up to the stage. They stood there, just waving for a few minutes, until Carmine walked up next to her.

"We have a meeting each month, and each time, we see new faces," Carmine said, smiling. She hugged him.

"Thank you..." She said to him.

"Come on," he said, leading them to the stairs. "Someone else will start talking now." They walked up the stairs, and back into Carmine's home.

**Well, there you go. A happy ending to a chapter instead of a cliffhanger. I'm gonna start to tell the story from the POV of other characters, like I did with Radarr, so the story kinda takes on a different perspective.**

**Anyways, please review! Sorry for the wait, I'm not allowed to have my iPod after school anymore, so I can only write at home. See you next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6: Plans

**Well, guess now is a good time to apologize for the wait. I had a TON of stuff going on with schoolwork and auditions, and… hey. It's junior year in high school. I can't be blamed.**

**Wait, yes I can.**

**So, I apologize deeply for the wait on this and all of my other stories that you may or may not have followed. I'm going to work a lot harder at updating my works faster. I know I'm not the best, nor the most popular writer out on Fanfiction, but I **_**do **_**have a few faithful followers, and it's to all of you that have stuck with me that I dedicate this chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.**

Piper shot up from her seat and immediately helped Carmine's friends as they carried Aerrow into the small room. They must have given him some advanced medicine back while they were on the Condor, because he was already looking stronger and healthier. His smile could have illuminated Terra Neon when he saw Finn and Junko, and they both hugged him gently, careful of his weakness. Piper couldn't do much to help, so she satisfied herself with pulling out a chair for her Sky Knight and sitting next to him. He involuntarily grabbed her hand, and she knew he didn't know what to make of the situation they found themselves in.

"Calm down," she whispered while Carmine talked with his friends. "They're friends. You should see the crowd of people down underneath the ground. Every one of them is against Cyclonia."

"A crowd of people underneath the terra?" he whispered back to her. "Piper, did you contract mind worms or something?"

She couldn't contain her laughter, and cracked up. Finn and Junko soon joined her, and after a moment, Aerrow did as well. It was almost like the old days, them sitting around a table and laughing at Stork's paranoia. She could picture them back on the Condor, circled around the table on the bridge, with Stork pouting in the corner, but a small hint of a smile on his face. Radarr would be in his usual spot on Aerrow's shoulder. Piper would be on his right, Finn on his left, and Junko next to Finn. The memory made her feel all warm inside.

Then Carmine turned to them and sat, and she remembered what they were there to do. She immediately focused.

"We need to start with making a plan," Carmine said, pulling out a map of the Atmos. It had two lines that intersected right in the middle of the paper, making four equal sections on the map. Piper recognized the sections as the four Quadrants of the Atmos, and immediately found Atmosia. They were right around the middle of the first Quadrant. Piper's eyes then found Cyclonia- or, where it used to be, before Cyclonis figured out how to make it float. She glared at the spot on the map. Her eyes flickered to where Terra Subson used to be- second Quadrant, near the bottom right hand corner of the Quadrant. A heavy ache of longing filled her chest, but she pushed it down and focused on making a plan.

"Okay," she said, thinking as she spoke. "We'll need to wait until Aerrow is fully recovered before we do anything. We're nothing without him." He blushed a little bit, but said nothing. "While he does, we spend time planning and sharpening our skills. We fix up the Condor and the skimmers, and look for Stork and Radarr. Radarr's on Terra Zartaclon with Moss, so that break out should be pretty easy. Finding Stork is going to be a little more difficult."

"The Condor's here?" Junko said. He sounded shocked. She looked up. Hope sparkled in Finn's eyes, and there was a small smile on Junko's face. She grinned and nodded.

"It's here, but pretty broken. There's no way it's flying now. We need to fix it- that's where Junko and his Knuckle Busters come in." Junko puffed up his chest proudly, but then sighed. "My Knuckle Busters are gone," he said sadly. "I lost them. I'm sorry, guys, I—"

"Junko, your Knuckle Busters are on the Condor," Aerrow spoke up. "Same with your crossbow, Finn." Finn's smile made him look like a little kid that had found a dollar in the street.

"Okay, so as of right now, it's pretty simple," Piper said with a brilliant smile. "We fix the Condor and our rides. We track the Cyclonians and watch them, and try to get an edge on them. Find out how they think. We look for Stork and bust Radarr out of jail. We work the crowds; try to drum up some support from the outlying terras. When we're ready, we strike."

**Okay, just to clarify a few things:**

**I have no idea how the Quadrants go in the actual show. I just know they're there, so I made something up that sounded relatively logical.**

**Terra Subson: my personal head canon. In my diseased, overworked mind, this is the terra Piper was born on, and lived on with her parents until she was eight. It's a small, relatively insignificant terra, but Piper's old home nonetheless. Just after her eighth birthday, Cyclonians blew it up, simply because they wanted to prove their power to the rest of the Atmos. Piper was the only survivor- she hopped on a garbage cruiser and rode to Atmosia, where she met and lived with Aerrow. They met Finn and Radarr soon after that, then stowed away on a merchant ship to Terra Neverlandis, where they made their home.**

**So it's not exactly a cliffhanger, but it's not a happy ending, either. You'll just have to wait and find out what happens. And I plan on having some pairings, and possible oc's. Because I love my oc's, and they love me.**

**I hope.**

**I don't think Ari likes me much, though. I paired her with a psychotic cupcake-baking murderer in the last roleplay I did, so…**

**Yeah, I'm diseased.**

**Please review, it means the world to me! Love you all, see you next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7: Escapes

It had been a week since Finn and Junko had reunited with Piper and Aerrow. Piper still played the streets for money, but not nearly as often as she used to. The extra money she brought in helped, and with the resources Carmine had, they began work on the Condor.

Having Junko back was a miracle. With him there, what they could have done in a week (and even then, the job would have been mediocre) was completed in two days' time, and was done to perfection. Finn's constantly annoying yet easygoing and fun attitude kept their spirits up. The two of them, plus Carmine and his workers, were set to work on the Condor. Piper didn't let Aerrow help yet- she wanted him fully recovered before he started working again. She took over refining crystals again, and she even sped up Aerrow's recovery process with a Nil crystal she refined. She discovered more powerful crystals for Aerrow's blades and Finn's crossbow. They were happy about that. As Aerrow got better, the two of them began working with the Binding again. They continuously got better at it, until neither of them were passing out from exhaustion any more. Aerrow began training again, mostly Sky Fu with Piper to get his skills back up. He did some hand-to-hand combat training with Carmine, and he was always happy at the end of the day.

He was even happier the day Radarr came home.

* * *

Radarr had a plan. He missed his boy and his friends, so he developed a plan. His plan was flawless- it was simple and perfect and flawless and would guarantee him a ride out of this place.

And it all began on a Thursday, because Thursdays were garbage days. The garbage cruiser always came on a Thursday, he could see it out of his tiny window in his tiny cell in this huge prison.

Radarr got ready when he saw the guard coming down the hall. He sat in the corner of his cell, right next to the door. And when the door was unlocked so the guard could reach inside and give Radarr some food, Radarr did what he did best.

He bit the guard's hand and, while the man was distracted, ran out of his cell.

They tried closing the doors, but Radarr was too fast. He ran under them just as they slammed shut, but he didn't make it all the way out of the prison. The final door closed before he got there, and he could hear guards running for him. He began to panic- he could see the garbage cruiser outside. He spotted his way out- a pile of cardboard boxes that would be easy to climb and jump over the wall from the top of. But Moss stepped in front of the small animal.

"You're not going anywhere," he said. "I lost you once, and I ain't doin' it again!" He lunged for Radarr.

_Big_ mistake.

Radarr jumped out of the way as watched as Moss plowed face-first into the ground. He snickered and climbed the boxes, vaulting easily over the wall and onto the ground outside. The garbage cruiser was about to leave, and Radarr ran for the ship. He jumped on just as it left the dock and waved goodbye to the prison on Terra Zartacla.

The cruiser went to Atmosia. Radarr was okay with that. He knew his way around this terra. He disembarked from the garbage cruiser once it landed, and Cyclonians immediately ran on the ship to look for him. No one saw him hiding behind a building. He began walking in the shadows of the buildings, looking for a nice box to spend the night in, because it looked like it was going to rain. But he stopped when he heard the music.

It was a sweet, low song, and Radarr recognized it. It was Piper's song. She would often hum it absentmindedly when she wasn't doing anything important. Aerrow had often told Radarr he loved when she hummed that song. He said it helped him relax- but he would never tell her that. He followed the music all the way to downtown Atmosia, where a hooded figure was playing a guitar. A few coins sat in the person's cup at their feet. When the person looked up, Radarr was shocked to see the orange eyes peeking out from underneath the hood. It was Piper! He could barely stop himself from running over to her, but she was concealing her face for a reason. He would give the both of them away. So he waited until she got up and began walking away, and followed her into the woods. Once they were safely out of earshot, Radarr tackled Piper.

She yelled and fought him, trying to get him off of her, but stopped once she realized it was him.

"Radarr?" She asked quietly. He nodded and snuggled up against her face- his version of a hug. She hugged him back immediately, but then pushed him away from her.

"You smell _awful_," she said. "Come on, I know a stream near here you can wash up in." She stood and began walking, and he followed her. After spending about ten minutes submersed in the water of the stream, and after Piper determining he wouldn't stink up the ship, they began walking back, Radarr perched on Piper's shoulder. She told him about what was going on, and his ears perked up when he heard Aerrow's name. She smiled at his eagerness, and they finally reached the Condor. It was Aerrow's first day working on the Condor, after Piper determined he was healthy enough to do repairs. As she walked into the clearing, she waved.

"Hey, Aerrow!" She shouted. "I've got a surprise for you!" She watched the roof of the ship, and finally, his mop of red hair appeared on top of the bridge. She smiled as his eyes widened.

"Radarr!" He shouted. He dropped his wrench and slid off the ship, running to his co-pilot. Radarr jumped into his open arms, and Aerrow almost started crying. That is, until Piper smacked his arm.

"What are you _doing_, jumping off the ship?" She said. "You're not strong enough yet-"

"Piper, I'm fine," he said while hugging Radarr. Junko and Finn ran down as well and greeted Radarr as well. It was a great moment, and going to sleep that night, with Radarr curled up beside him, Aerrow was happier than he had been in a long time.

* * *

**Sorry for the wait! I've been really busy lately. Hope you all enjoyed, please review! I don't own Storm Hawks.**


	8. Chapter 8: Rebellions

One week later, Piper followed Carmine back to his house in the city. They walked through the alley and into the tiny room silently, no words spoken. Nothing had to be said. Wordlessly, she stepped into the closet, pulled the string, and descended the stairs. At the bottom, she took a breath, set her shoulders, and opened the door.

The crowd was immensely loud when she stepped onto the makeshift stage. Today was the day she would meet with old friends- Starling, Dove, Wren, Harrier. Today was the day she would speak to the rebels.

Today was the day the rebellion would truly begin.

Piper looked out over the crowd. Old and new faces shone happiness at her, but she knew it wasn't legitimate. There was pain, fear lying underneath the layer of happiness, and a thin layer of hope underneath that. That hope was what she was trying to get to. She gulped, then held up her hand. Silence befell the room.

"Uh... Hi," she began, then mentally slapped herself. _Hi_? What a horrible way to start an inspirational speech! The slip sent her heart racing. Blood pounded in her ears, making it difficult to hear herself think. She cleared her throat again.

"Most of you already know who I am," she tried again. "But for those who don't... I'm Piper, of the Storm Hawks." Great, Piper. Now that introductions are over, get to the _real_ speech!

"Most, if not all, of you are here for the same reason," she said, voice quivering a bit. "The Cyclonians have taken everything from you. Your homes, your families, your will to fight back. I know the feeling. When I was eight, the old Master Cyclonis blew up everything I had ever known... In the explosion of Terra Subson." A gasp ran through the crowd. The newscasters had said there were no survivors from that disaster eight years ago... And Piper had never told anyone but Aerrow and Finn for a reason.

"I swore I would end their reign of terror the day I lost my parents," she went on. "And the rebellion begins today. With every person in this room." She was slowly getting more confident in her speech, and the crowd seemed to be hanging on her every word. "The Storm Hawks are almost all back, and we have the Condor. But we can't fight the Cyclonians alone. We need your help, and anyone out there who feels the same." The crowd slowly began to clap, and Piper smiled. Her final words came out loud and confident, just as she wanted them to.

"From this moment forward, the Second War for Atmos is on!"

She raised her fist into the air as the cavern exploded into cheers and whistles. The sound of hands clapping together echoed off the walls and made Piper's head pound, but she didn't care. The rebellion had begun.

She descended into the crowd and greeted people on their way out, as they headed into the secret passage that led to the safe paths through the Wastelands- for those who had come from different terras- and up to the surface for those who lived on Atmosia. After they were gone, she slowly turned back around.

Starling, Wren, Dove, and Harrier stood there, smiling at her. She was surprised they hadn't been captured by Cyclonia yet- most of the Sky Knights had, and had been locked away. Piper crossed her arms. "Enjoy the show?"

"That speech was wonderful," Starling said. "It didn't seem at all rehearsed."

"It wasn't." And suddenly Piper couldn't hold it in, and she was hugging Starling and Dove and Wren, and even Harrier. "I thought you were all dead," she murmured while hugging Starling.

"Us? Dead?" Starling laughed. "You know they can't take _me_ out, Piper. I was too good for them then and I'm too good for them now..." Piper's mind flashed back to the day Starling had told her that Cyclonians killed her team. They had all felt for her, having lost the people they love themselves, and had offered once again for Starling to join the Storm Hawks. But she had become more of a lone wolf and declined.

"You guys have to come back to the Condor," she said, pulling away from Starling and looking at all of them. "Aerrow will want to talk to you, and we have more than enough room." They nodded and followed her back up to Carmine's place. He gave Starling, Dove, Wren, and Harrier hoodies to wear so they wouldn't be seen, and they gratefully accepted them.

"I'll head straight for the Condor," Piper said. "Starling, you go east and then head northwest once you're far enough from the city. Dove, Wren, you go west and then head northeast. Harrier, follow me once they're gone and go straight there. I don't want people thinking there's something in that direction." They nodded and donned their hoods.

"Great plan as always, Piper," Starling complimented her. She smiled with a light blush. "Thank you..." She quickly hugged them again before setting off toward the Condor.

* * *

Aerrow sat in his room on the ship, staring out the window into the forest around them. He missed her. She had been gone for a few hours at most and he already missed her. He couldn't understand why, though. All he could think of was the way her beautiful sunset orange eyes lit up when she had determined he was healthy enough to work on the Binding with her again. And the way she smiled at him. And the way her hair was as dark as midnight, so dark it looked blue. And how her skin reminded him of hot chocolate on a cold day, at just the right temperature. And how her laugh-

No, Aerrow. Stop. He mentally slapped himself. He couldn't like Piper, she was his best friend. His _friend_. Liking her, and admitting that he liked her, would ruin everything if she didn't like him back. Besides, she had enough on her mind as it was. The rebellion was just beginning, and Piper was at the center. The face of the rebellion, the voice of the people who were too afraid to speak for themselves. More than anything, Aerrow was proud of his best friend.

No.

He was proud of the girl he loved.

* * *

**Okay I HAD to throw that little fluff in there to get the AerrowxPiper ball rolling. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review! Disclaimer: I own nothing.**


	9. Chapter 9: Questions

**Chapter Nine! School's all over now, so I have a lot more free time to write. I'm going to try to be more on track with my updates. Also, I have a pet crab named Mr. Snappers that I got from a review on a different story and if you don't review, he will pinch your nose. Also note: I don't own Storm Hawks.**

* * *

Aerrow ran his hand through his hair as he walked to Finn's room. He normally would _never_ go to Finn for relationship advice, but… he was clueless. He sighed and knocked on his friend's door, relieved to find that he wasn't playing what he called "music" at an obnoxiously loud volume.

"C'min!" Finn called through the door, and it slid open. Finn was lying back on his bed, tinkering with his radio and trying to get it to function again. Aerrow took a step in.

"Hey, Finn," he said, nervous. "Can I talk to you about something… personal?"

"Yeah, sure, buddy!" He sat up on his bed and set the radio aside, placing it onto his desk. Aerrow sat down next to him after making sure the door was shut tight.

"I need to talk to you about… girls." Finn's eyes went wide. Then, he grinned.

"You like Piper, don't you!" He said loudly, standing up quickly with a look of triumph on his face. "Ha! Junko owes me ten bucks!" Aerrow stood behind him and clapped his hand over Finn's mouth. "Shut up, what if someone hears you?" he hissed into his ear. Finn shrugged and Aerrow let go with a sigh. They both sat back down.

"I need your help," he said. "I want to ask her out, but we can't exactly… _go out_ right now. But I _really _like her, Finn… I think I'm in love with her."

"Well, _yeah_. We all know that!" he grinned. "Look, man, you just gotta go for it. But make it _really _romantic. Flowers, dim lights, music, jewelry… girls like that stuff! And don't forget your charm. She'll be all over you!" He winked, and Aerrow sighed, shaking his head with a grin.

"Thanks, Finn." He stood and walked out of his best friend's room, the advice replaying in his head.

Be romantic.

How?

* * *

Piper's eyes widened the moment she saw him. He was working in the market. The _market_! On _Atmosia_! How had she not noticed him before? He looked the same as he always had. She must have bought fruit from him a dozen times without even noticing. Then again, she didn't look up from the coat's hood enough to really pick out people's faces when they were up close. How long had he been here, right under her nose? _Stupid, Piper, stupid!_

She pulled money from her coat pocket and walked up to his stand. She picked out two apples and handed him the money. While he was writing down the sale, she made conversation.

"So how long have you been working here?" she asked, disguising her voice so he wouldn't recognize it." I haven't seen you before."

He shrugged. "Few months. Maybe six. Not long. I work part time, not a lot of shifts." He handed her a receipt. It was almost over- she was losing her chance! She took her change from him, then took a leap of faith and took the disguise from her face.

"Did you know the Condor needs nine power crystals to run properly?" She asked in her own voice. He scoffed.

"The Condor needs _ten_ power crystals," he said. "Exactly ten, perfectly stable, otherwise the ship will crash. Only an advanced crystal mage can attune them herself, otherwise you have to buy pre-attuned power crystals, that's why we had-" he stopped and looked up at her. Orange met yellow, and Piper grinned.

"Hey, Stork."

* * *

"Guess who showed up?" Piper called as she tugged Stork into the bridge of the Condor. She didn't let go of his wrist, seeing as he had stopped about ten times to kiss a part of the Condor he had particularly missed, or insult their work on fixing up another. The moment they walked in, everyone stood and cheered as Stork ran to the helm and kissed it. Even Carmine and his buddies were there.

The Storm Hawks were back.

Stork pulled the key to the ship from his shirt. It hung on the end of a chain that he wore around his neck, tucked under his shirt so no one would see it. He put it in the ignition, twisted the key, and practically cried as the engine roared to life. Everyone ran out onto the runway as the ship took off into the air and soared over Atmosia. They stood there, out in the open, waving madly and cheering as the ship flew over the terra. People came out of their houses to look. The streets were suddenly filled with people, and from a single person came the shout that started an uproar.

The Storm Hawks were back.

* * *

**Please review!**


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